(My first attempt at actually posting something. I've got a whole list of somewhat interesting monsters written for various campaigns that I'll be cleaning up and posting. I figured I'd start with the most 'normal' one.)

EDIT: Reworded a few things. Also, this is a MitP submission, so please vote.

EDIT2: Changed the primary attack to the sting to better reflect the fluff.

Wide, sea-colored forms gracefully rise out of the water and begin flapping their wings towards the shore. Their long tails end with clear stinger that occasionally glows bright yellow.

These blue-grey creatures look like very large manta rays, but they have the ability to leave the water and fly through the air to hunt land-bound prey. Despite this ability, storm rays cannot breathe air, and so rarely venture overland and spend most of their time over water.

COMBAT
Storm rays will generally hunt just about any creature smaller than them, using teamwork and their adaptability to ambush their prey. When hunting land-based creatures or those on the surface of the water, they make diving attacks with their stingers until the prey is incapacitated, then they drag it underwater to consume.

Despite their natural habitat, they are more a danger to land-based adventurers than sea-based: they generally only attack ships if they are in a large pack and are very hungry, but they will readily attack individuals along a shoreline or in the water.

Hold Breath (Ex): A storm ray can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 8 X its Constitution score before it risks suffocation.

Stunning Sting (Su): The storm ray’s sting attack stuns the target. Any creature hit by a sting must make a fortitude save (DC 13) or be stunned for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution based.

Skills: A storm ray has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

I've never quite liked the idea of combining lighting and water in a creature, though. Won't the shock spread through the water and electrify everything? If that is the case, then you should at least give them some electrical resistance.

By the way, are you putting this up for MitpII? In that case I'm voting yes. I like the concept.

Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll

2007-06-16, 08:52 PM

Do put this in MitP. It is very interesting.

adanedhel9

2007-06-17, 09:54 AM

I've never quite liked the idea of combining lighting and water in a creature, though. Won't the shock spread through the water and electrify everything? If that is the case, then you should at least give them some electrical resistance.

I've reworded a few things to make it clear that it's not really electricity. That was an artifact of a previous version of the creature that did electrical damage.

By the way, are you putting this up for MitpII? In that case I'm voting yes. I like the concept.

Yeah, I am. I've somehow managed to avoid reading the MitP thread until now, but now I'm intrigued.

Ceres

2007-06-17, 01:11 PM

Yeah, I am. I've somehow managed to avoid reading the MitP thread until now, but now I'm intrigued.

Well, in that case I'm voting yes for Mitp. Perhaps it could do with a bit more fluff, but then again maybe not. It's a simple and elegant concept. Looking forward to your other creatures :smallsmile:

Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll

2007-06-17, 03:46 PM

Heh. I'm voting yes too.

Icewalker

2007-06-17, 08:27 PM

Looks good. A nice simple low CR addition, Mitp Yes.

Just out of curiosity...what inspired you to make this?

Because a few weeks ago I had EXACTLY the same idea. Flying manta rays. Never got around to making it though, and it probably would've been a high cr.

Poppatomus

2007-06-17, 08:34 PM

MitP: Yes +10

adanedhel9

2007-06-17, 10:50 PM

Just out of curiosity...what inspired you to make this?

Well, this was roughly two years ago that I first used these, so my memory's quite fuzzy on where the inspiration came from. It's probably just from watching the Discovery channel.

Matthew

2007-06-21, 06:38 PM

Grapple should be +9, I think, as the Size bonus for Grapple doesn't override the Size Penalty for attack, they satck (as far as I can tell; I'd appreciate some clarification on that point) [Edit] Okay, looks like they don't, +10 it is.

Not sure how you have calculated the Skills. Should be [6 x (2 -1)] = 6.